Bet on number 7 in the second race if you live across from the track....No really.....One oddball I have read in a couple of books and even online (here and elsewhere) that may have some merit is juding a potential property/tenants by their vehicles....( not the only metric for sure but just one observable factor of many to consider along with all the other data points and best practices).If the place you are looking at has a bunch of older inefficient, beater cars in the lot, this may be a management issue (leaking oil, immobile cars, unsightly) AND also eating up the tenants monthly paychecks in repairs, fuel, etc. 

.: Banks are the best bet for this type of loan.

You bet.

It goes unstated, but many times I'd bet they are leveraged to the hilt with debt in order to grow so fast ... again, that is great so long as the RE market is strong as it has been.

The local banks are your best bet,  but know they are evaluating you as much as your property.

Does the lender physically provide you a money order/wire funds etc.?

Hi John,Private domains are very common for businesses to avoid identify theft attempts through the WHOIS database and to avoid spam email as we don't use the private domain to hide our physical address.  

I would be willing to bet that you bought your home because you liked it for your personal residence.  

If you are betting on a particular housing market to appreciate x% a year, why not just invest in the stock market?

James, safest bet is their income is 3x rent (some require more/some less).